Technology
With the combined efforts of all species the advanced technology is shared among most species. Weapons Guns are categorized into three main groups, firearms, energy and railguns. Firearms Firearms use explosive gas to accelerate a projectile through a barrel and towards a target. It offers more stopping force than some quick firing railguns of equal firing rate. The downside of firearm weaponry is the use of cartridges that require frequent reloading during a fire fight. Railguns Railguns use projectile shavers that can generate thousands of rounds of ammunition from a small, internal block of metal. The railgun uses electromagnetic effects to accelerate the round through a barrel and towards its target. Unlike firearm weaponry reloading is not a concern. The downfall of railguns is their frequency of overheating. When this happens the user can use a vent release to hasten the cooldown and return to firing. Slow firing railguns offer greater damage and force than firearms of equal firing rate. Directed Energy Weapons Energy weapons vary greatly in size, shape, and use. The energy types also vary from radio frequencies, microwaves, laser, masers, particle beams, and sound. The use of energy weapons is often to subdue targets in a non-lethal way or to disable weaponry and shields. Common effects are: Difficulty breathing, disorientation, nausea, pain, and vertigo. Energy weapons are commonly used as a deterrent for unwanted persons in an area. Shields and Armor Shields These are the first line of defense when it comes to a firefight and are also the most essential. Shielding technology projects a strong electromagnetic field that only reacts to high velocity objects. Two fields are in effect when a shield is active, first is a large reactive field that senses the incoming projectile. This sends feedback to a mini computer to then activate the smaller primary field that acts as a kinetic barrier to deflect the projectile. The more active the primary shield is the shorter the shield life is. Once it is completely depleted the e-cell powering the shield must recharge. This can take a few seconds to several minutes depending on the strength of the defense. If the reactionary field is disturbed by more projectiles then the recharge cannot take place as it is trying to activate the primary to protect the user. The trade off on models is strength versus recharge. The tougher the shield the longer it takes to recharge. Space Travel Space travel is categorized in 4 different methods. Sublight, FTL, Jump, and Warp. Sublight Sublight Engines are used to travel from planet to planet, city to city, docking, and flight approaches. FTL FTL (Faster Than Light) Flight is used when needing to travel from star system to star system. As the name suggests, the vehicle is moving faster than the speed of light. Time dilation is not considered a concern as passengers may only lose an hour or two at most during their travel. It could be related to moving into a different time zone. Jump Jump Traveling is when a space ship needs to go from one point of the galaxy to another. To travel a ship uses a Jump Station, a large construct that can send vehicles and objects instantly to another across the galaxy. These stations are heavily guarded with high security. Warp Warp Traveling is rare and highly expensive. It is similar to Jumping but does not require the need of a Jump Station. It bends Space-Time around the vehicle and unfolds to the desired location. The process is cataclysmic to the surrounding area when it leaves and enters the two points. Because of this the warp must happen light-years away from the closest star system. Misc. PDA Formally known as a Personal Digital Assistant, a PDA is a common handheld or forearm mounted device that has various uses and purposes. It's primary function is a communicator with others in the current planetary network. It offers video and audio chat as well as text based correspondence. For long range communication the individual will have to write and send letters via the Jump Station Virtual Courier. JSVC is a intergalactic program that sends pulses of information to thousands of systems via Jump Station technology. Sending and receiving messages this way is not instant because an information pulse is regularly sent out every hour per a Jump Station between incoming and outgoing vehicle traffic. Other uses of a PDA include a calendar, news feed, video/holo player, network browser, and much more as third party programs can be downloaded and installed via the virtual market. HardLite HardLite Technology was founded by Denel Futuristics. HardLite or "HL" is a projected "material" that can be interacted as if it was a physical object. It is similar to having several holo-emitters and a kinetic barrier all in one that can interact with physical materials. The holograms manipulate a strong projected EMF (electromagnetic field) in such a way that the EMF looks and acts like a solid object. HardLite can change form and purpose in an instant making its versatility invaluable. Surgeons can change tools on the fly without concern of sterilization and a mechanic does not need to dig through a toolbox to exchange tools. HardLite can be as precise as a scalpel or act as big as a bridge, supporting several vehicles and persons. The downside is its limited mobility due to its high power requirement. It needs a constant feed varying from 500 watts to 250 kilowatts depending on the projected EMF. Mobile HardLite emitters have short duration and size limitations and require powerful e-cells. Combat personnel often use it as an on-the-fly riot shield or extra armor needed in a tight spot. The average duration in combat is five minutes depending on the user's discretion. Like programs and other software HL programs and models can be bought in the Danel Futuristcs online store that can range from forks and spoons, to wrenches and scalpels. Denel Futuristcs has a strict policy against the use of their technology being used as knives, blades or the like that may bring harm to others. This does not stop many users, often military or criminals, to used them as such by accessing third party models. Programmers and engineers with the right know-how can create their own projections of HardLite as they see fit but goes against the EULA and voids warranty. In recent years Denel Futuristics has been under heavy scrutiny about the patent rights of HardLite technology saying that users and programmers alike should be free to code and program as they see fit. Recently Denel Futuristcs has created an open source program for the public to appease their customers and users while still retaining their IT (Intellectual Technology). To this day it is one of the most common used tools in several fields varying from the hospital, construction, garage, and more.